1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of water displays.
2. Prior Art
Water displays of increasing sophistication and complexity are being more frequently installed as decorative attractions around commercial buildings and complexes of various kinds. Many such water displays include a body of water in the form of a pool or small lake in which various individual water displays or features are placed. Such individual water displays normally are comprised of one or more nozzles of various types, oriented in a vertical direction and providing the desired characteristics for shaping the water display as the water is expelled from the nozzles, proceeds upwards and falls back to the body of water.
Certain prior art nozzles are intended to operate just below the surface of the water and, accordingly, are generally not visible to persons standing at the edge of the body of water when the same are not operating. The performance of other nozzles, however, depends on the exit end of the nozzle being above the surface of the body of water so as to not entrain water from the body of water or otherwise be affected by the presence of the body of water.
In the prior art, for those nozzles which needed to have the exit above the surface of the body of water in which they are disposed for proper operation thereof, various techniques have been used to accomplish this. The simplest, of course, is to merely support the nozzle in the body of water, typically from the bottom thereof, so that the nozzle is permanently disposed with at least the exit end of the nozzle above the surface of the water. This, of course, is normally by far the simplest and least expensive technique, though has the disadvantage that when the water display is not being used, the nozzle tip is still visible to persons standing or walking in the vicinity of the edge of the body of water. This is rather unsightly in comparison to an unobstructed water surface, and further eliminates the element of surprise when an otherwise apparently clear unobstructed body of water suddenly comes to life with an animated, frequently lighted, water display.
Another technique which has been used is to mount the nozzle on some structure which includes an elevating capability to elevate the exit end of the nozzle to above water level whenever the same is to be used, and to otherwise pull the nozzle entirely below the water level when the same is not being used. This technique can work well in certain situations, though has its limitations. For instance, if a large number of nozzles is displaced over a large area, a single structure for supporting all nozzles would not be practical, and in fact not achieve the desired result, as nozzles could not be raised individually or in subgroups as the same were to be used. Elevating mechanisms for each individual nozzle, however, may not be cost effective, particularly when a large number of relatively small nozzles are being used, as the complexity of the elevating system can dwarf the simplicity of the nozzle system used in such applications.